Reality Sucks...Ray Whitney Is Really Gone!

Last night I was surfing different blogs and articles of the Canes like most of us do in the summer to pass the non-existent  hockey time by and I left the denial world and came to reality world that Ray Whitney is really gone.  I understood the dynamics of why we could not resign him with his age and the contract that he demanded, but the reality is our Wizard is gone.  Not only do we not have one of our leading point’s scorer, but we no longer have that veteran with his wit and humor to look forward to in interviews and most of all behind the camera man during Tripp Tracey’s interviews of the players down on the ice prior to the games.  I will miss him making faces at the camera behind the players being interviewed by Tripp, constantly non-saliently skating by behind the player being interviewed, stretching right beside the interviewed player, tapping the player’s leg trying to make them stumble with their words or not laugh while Tripp Tracey’s interviews them, and especially those oh so subtle remarks directed to Tripp while being interviewed by him (“ugh Tripp I hope you’re not planning on sitting down on the ice beside the bench tonight, because we always lose when you do”).  Those days are gone.  Rosey has his own style of humor that is ‘out there’, but Whitney’s was unique and special which I will miss.

This makes me wonder that with very little >30 yr old veteran presence in the locker room for our new young players, the fact that Whitney was still a dynamic player even at 37, did we make a mistake and not resign him?  Phoenix is a young team too, but was smart enough to snatch a veteran like Whitney up for their young locker room.  When he played for the Canada in the World Tournament  this past spring/summer I saw an interview of one of the coaches taking about how important Whitney was to the young players and that is why they made him the Captain of that team.  How many times in the playoffs  do we hear the hockey analyst say the young players can’t hang through three playoff rounds and the SC round without some key veterans around to get them through it?   I don’t consider <30 years old players as key veterans for the new young players. 

I’m just sad I guess that the Wizard is really gone and grasping at straws as to the reality of what we have done.   I hope that hind-site doesn’t bite us in the bee-hind.  Just Saying...

Oh well what is done is done, I will just put my little tribute to him here and know that we must go on without him.

My very favorite interview with Whitney was with NBC.17 sports back in the summer of 2008…

http://wake.mync.com/site/Wake/news/story/8889/sports-penn-holderness-has-humorous-interview-with-ray-whitney/

One of my favorite assists that I witnessed in person by ‘The Wizard’…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAGEjNtZAKU&feature=related

One of my favorite goals that I witnessed in person by ‘The Wizard’…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESHcjZq4fzg&feature=fvsr

C